Fairfaxknitter

Tuesday, June 07, 2016

This past weekend my quilt guild, Quilters Unlimited of Northern Virginia, held their annual show. I was happy to have four quilts in the show. Here are photos of the quilts as they were hanging in the exhibition, followed by the information I wrote for the accompanying card for each.

"Churned Colorforms"

(40" x40")

The crayons I was given for the Springfield QU Chapter 2015 Colorforms Challenge were red-violet and yellow-orange; the two shapes were rectangle and triangle. In a book in the library I saw a photo of a quilt with offset Churn Dash blocks. I used four Jinny Beyer fabrics along with background fabric leftover from another quilt. This quilt will be donated to Operation Homefront for a baby shower gift. I quilted this in a wavy horizontal line pattern traced from a Sue Pelland ruler.

"Think Inside the Box"

(54" x 54")

In July 2014 I attended a workshop at Mid-Appalachian Quilters taught by Jeannette Pie. The pattern was "Think Inside the Box" by Cathy Wierzbicki. I selected a palette of patriotic fabrics thinking I would give this quilt away when completed. After sewing the intricate piecing, then developing and executing the quilting designs, I think I'll keep this one, at least for a while.

"Down Memory Lane"

(75" x 57")

Made of a cacophony of fabric from my 2-1/2", 3-1/2", and 4" scrap drawers this quilt is a memorable collection of fabrics I have used in quilts throughout the past twenty years. Absolutely nothing was purchased specifically for the creation of this quilt - even the batting and backing were already in house. The quilting is vertical wavy lines - what I call my "organic quilting." Thank you Gyleen Fitzgerald for the online mystery in January-February 2015.

"Just Ask"

(98" x 80")

In October 2005 six members of Springfield QU (Pam, Cindy, Aby, Marcia, Judy, and me) selected the pattern "Just Ask" by Miss Rosie's Quilt Company as a joint project. We each made four patches and also cut the other dark/medium fabrics to swap. I completed the top within a year, even expanding it by adding an extra pattern repeat to make a rectangular quilt for a queen bed, but it took me another nine years to decide how to quilt it. This was my first use of Hobbs wool batting and I quilted it on the diagonal, again using a Sue Pelland ruler to trace the curves.

Friday, July 19, 2013

It has been a long time since I've written. Perhaps there are still a few of you out there who have patiently waited for me to return to blogging.

I have been busy creating ... quilting, knitting, crocheting, even a little cross-stitch. And there have been trips to Louisiana and North Carolina to visit daughters, and most recently a family reunion to celebrate my Dad's 90th birthday.. But I will refrain from boring you with what I have done over the past year and a half. Let's move forward!

Over the past couple days I have realized that I have lots of oddiments of leftover yarn from various completed projects, and a few bits of yarn that I have picked up at the "free to a good home" table at one of my quilting guilds. The time has come to create useful items for others with these bits. Here's a photo, taken this morning, of the gathered yarns.

I am calling what I create from these yarns my "SPULs." Some yarns are just enough for one baby hat; other yarns are in sufficient quantity for an adult hat; yet others will result in a baby sweater or several hats. Stick with me over the next couple months and follow my progress.

(Yes, the project in the uppermost left corner is almost done, but it isn't complete, so it counts.)

Saturday, December 17, 2011

Three Operation Kid Comfort quilts for children in a family at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson whose father has deployed to Afghanistan. I completed these quilts just in time for the father to be able to present the quilts to his children the day before he left.